THE SIBYLLINE ORACLES

TRANSLATED FROM THE GREEK

INTO ENGLISH BLANK VERSE

BY

MILTON S. TERRY

As the translator notes, this collection
should more properly titled 'the Pseudo-Sibylline Oracles'.
The original Sibylline Books were closely-guarded oracular
scrolls written by prophetic priestesses (the Sibylls) in the Etruscan and
early Roman Era as far back as the 6th Century B.C.E.
These books were destroyed, partially in a fire in 83 B.C.E.,
and finally burned by order of the Roman General Flavius
Stilicho (365-408 C.E.).

There is very little knowledge of the actual contents of the original
Sibylline Books.
The texts which are presented here are forgeries, probably
composed between the second to sixth century C.E.
They purport to predict events which were already
history or mythological history at the time of composition, as well
as vague all-purpose predictions, especially woe for various
cities and countries such as Rome and Assyria.
They are an odd pastiche of Hellenistic and Roman Pagan mythology,
including Homer
and Hesiod;
Jewish legends such as the Garden of Eden,
Noah and the Tower of Babel; thinly veiled references to
historical figures such as Alexander the Great and Cleopatra,
as well as a long list of Roman Emperors;
and last but not least,
Gnostic and early Christian homilies and eschatological writings,
all in no particular order.
There may be actual residue of the original Sibylline books wedged in here
and there, but this is dubious.

As prophecy, the Pseudo-Sibyllines never rise to the level of
Nostradamus.
However they are a gold mine for students of Classical mythology
and early first millenium Jewish, Gnostic and Christian beliefs.
Notable are apocalyptic passages scattered throughout which
at times seem like a first draft of the Biblical
Book of Revelation.
The Pseudo-Sibyllines were referenced by the early Church fathers and in one
instance have a Christian code-phrase in successive first letters
on each line (an 'acrostic').
These books, in spite of their Pagan content, have been
described as part of the
Apocrypha, although they
do not appear on any of the canonical lists.